Saying the word ‘carnival’ stamps my tongue
with a breed of thrill & it finds its way into my body.
I’ve never been to a carnival, only seen it on TV,
but I know it exists in different strains.
People can be carnivals, too.
They come into your life & husk the silence off your spirit
& teach you to water the seed in your heart.
They burn the vacuum in you & the fire
lights up streets you never knew existed inside you.
You see, your body is a city, too,
& unfamiliar people wander in, like birds
& make nests in your tongue.
They’ll take you on merry-go-rounds,
you’ll sing songs your mouth never memorized the words of.
& when they’re gone, which happens eventually,
you’ll learn lanes also exist in cities,
you’ll learn that your body is a home & not a bar
strangers walk in for a drink.
You’ll understand why people find love in cigarettes--
they're trying to light up sleeping streets in themselves.
with a breed of thrill & it finds its way into my body.
I’ve never been to a carnival, only seen it on TV,
but I know it exists in different strains.
People can be carnivals, too.
They come into your life & husk the silence off your spirit
& teach you to water the seed in your heart.
They burn the vacuum in you & the fire
lights up streets you never knew existed inside you.
You see, your body is a city, too,
& unfamiliar people wander in, like birds
& make nests in your tongue.
They’ll take you on merry-go-rounds,
you’ll sing songs your mouth never memorized the words of.
& when they’re gone, which happens eventually,
you’ll learn lanes also exist in cities,
you’ll learn that your body is a home & not a bar
strangers walk in for a drink.
You’ll understand why people find love in cigarettes--
they're trying to light up sleeping streets in themselves.
Praise Osawaru is a Nigerian writer & poet studying at the University of Benin, Nigeria. His works have appeared in African Writer, Ngiga Review, Praxis Magazine & elsewhere. He was longlisted for African Writers Award 2019 & shortlisted for 2019 Kreative Diadem Creative Writing Contest. Say hello on Instagram/Twitter: @wordsmithpraise.